If We Were Having Coffee… On May 30

Come on in for our Weekend Coffee Share! It’s great to see you! Today, I can offer you coffee with milk, teas of all descriptions including fresh ginger, as well as water. I’ll put out a bowl of vegetable chips/crisps for all our snacking needs – trust me, they’re yummy, healthy and more addictive than pistachios!

How was your week? Mine was all right and despite not managing much on my to do list for the week, you’ll see I’m bouncing with excitement.

If we were having coffee today, I’d tell you that London’s Calling again! Here are some impressions from my trip to London in July 2014:

I’ve booked my flights and spent yesterday on the phone to Germanwings because they had cancelled them. Turns out, they stopped their services to and from London Stansted. However, I got a free rebooking on flights leaving at almost the same time, to and from London Heathrow. Which suits me better, to be fair, because that means not having to fork out for the Stansted Express.

I have also booked my hostel right in the heart of London, at the St Pancras YHA. This is right opposite Kings Cross / St Pancras and within spitting distance of the British Library, so even if I should stay out late I won’t have to stumble through dark alleys to get to the hostel! If my solo travels have taught me one thing it’s to stay in crowded places and within walking distance of major transport hubs as there will always be people around.

So yes, I’m excited for London!! I’ve also booked my trains to Cardiff and Brighton / Lewes, so at some point I will sit down with my copy of The New York Times’ 36 Hours – 125 Weekends in Europe, Lonely Planet London, and mapsas well as the Tripomatic website to plan my trip. I love travel planning, can you tell?

If we were having coffee today I’d also tell you that I decided to follow Corina’s advice. Last week over coffee, I said I wanted to get myself a Midori Traveler’s Notebook but wasn’t sure whether I could justify the expense. Corina told me to treat myself and splurge and so I have. I only ordered it last night, but I can’t wait to get it. Now, I know there is a hype around the MTNs and many people customize theirs. I will be no exception in that regard. I always make my stuff my own somehow. Once I have mine all set up and used it around London, I will review it and also make a “set-up” guide as they seem to be very popular (if you’re crafty).

A Midori Traveler’s Notebook used to its full potential.

But I will not be buying the “official” notebooks. I bought a cheap value pack of grid paper notebooks that will fit, and I will use one of them as a dummy to make my own inserts. Etsy can also be your friend there. I found one notebook in particular that I will need on my travels. I’d never heard of it before but it’s called “Hobonichi” paper. It’s notepaper that comes with a row of numbers from 1-31 at the top, the months, days of the week, plus icons for the weather and temperature and sometimes even moon phases. As a traveller who always keep a travel diary, this notebook was the only one I considered worthy to buy and not make myself.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you that I had a play around with my page design software, just to see whether I can actually make inserts myself. Below is a weekly one I came up with (note the hobonichi style left-hand page). There are downloadable inserts on Etsy, so I’m seriously considering making more inserts in different sizes (Midori regular, Midori passport, Filofax etc.) and opening an Etsy shop. Here’s my first draft. What do you think?

Weekly planner I designed for the Midori. Week On One Page, plus meal plan, shopping list, to do list and notes.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you that university wise I have so far not got a lot done. This week I found it hard to focus on tasks somehow, but that may be due to the meal plan I’m currently adhering to. I suspect the lack of sugar in coffee and the lack of fruits etc. is taking a toll, but I got a new plan on Wednesday and a new acupuncture needle in my ear today and I’m already feeling heaps better again.

If we were having coffee today then this would be all for now from me. Thank you for having coffee with me!

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12 thoughts on “If We Were Having Coffee… On May 30”

Your trip sounds so fun. I love London and your notebook tip. I have an old trip journal, but it’s nothing as detailed and put together as the Midori Traveler’s Notebook. I’ll have to check out ordering one. Thanks for coffee.

I really miss London. I usually carry my planner, 2 notebooks, ziplock bags etc, with me, but I’m looking forward to combining it all in the Midori. It’s more expensive than I’d like, but I figured it’s not a one-off as the notebook inserts are replaceable. Thank you for having coffee with me!

My wife and I love to travel. London is still on the list. We have some more strenuous trips that we want to do while we are still young enough to make them. Hiking Kilamanjaro is one. Sounds you like you have really researched your London trip. I’m looking forward to seeing and hearing all about it. Have a great week.

Oh I get the “do it while we can” bit! There are still loads of places I want to go and things I want to experience, but unfortunately at the moment, a city trip to London is all I can afford. I love researching destinations though. There will definitely be London updates! Have a nice week and thanks for having coffee with me!

These are tiny needles, not big ones that stick out. They get covered with a plaster and then you forget about them for a week. I don’t even feel it unless I ram my fingers in it 8which has happened more times than I’m willing to admit) but you can sleep on it, use the phone etc.

I’m hoping to go in the next few years. It will be my next big, out of the country trip. I was thinking about saving money by staying at a hostel, but I just can’t do it. So, I’m hoping to accrue enough points on my credit card for my hotel to be free or mostly free. I want to go in the fall when I figured things would hopefully be a little cheaper.

I’m glad you are treating yourself to the Midori Travel Notebook! I’m sure it will be just what you need when you are done playing with it and customizing it. Super! I’m also glad your acupuncture is working. I tried it for knee and back pain and it really worked. It was not at all painful or uncomfortable and it lasted three to four weeks. I wish more people would try it. It’s definitely an alternative to western medicine and drugs. Some insurance companies will even cover acupuncture, at least here in the United States they do.

I spent all week debating whether or not I should give in and get it, and then I got paid and I thought “now or never” 🙂 Well, this acupuncture is in line with my meal plan. Every week we get certain food variations that are best for cleaning certain organs and the ear needle is set to that organ’s point and kept in for a week. It must be working, I’m down 6kg in 3 weeks! 🙂